Michigan Takes Steps Toward a Healthier Earth

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder signed two bills, offering a program to help farmers and the environment work together. The program is set up to reward the farmers that go along with these programs. The programs will offer help to farmers, making them more aware of environmental issues and what they can do to prevent further damage to the earth. Farmers a part of this program will have to attend seminars, have their properties evaluated, and devise an action plan in order to be certified. Farmers that go along with this program will be protected from some fines and penalties.

Many people are for these bills, hopeful that they will help in preserving the earth. Others, however, are skeptical if the "big farmers" are truly concerned with the environment or if they are accepting this program in order to avoid trouble for pollution they have caused. Snyder hopes to pass other laws in attempts to better the environment. So far the new program has approximately 1,000 certified farms and many other farms are in the beginning processes of the project. By 2015, approximately 5,000 farms will be certified, making up about 80% of Michigan's farms. I think that this is a very good idea! In my opinion I think that it is important to educate people about the ways they are destroying the planet, but it is equally important to teach them alternative ways to do things. Hopefully other states will see what Michigan is doing and pass more bills like this. I think overall that some farms may be looking to the program in order to avoid fees, but I believe it is a smart idea to have an incentive for the farms for doing good things.